Governor Larry Hogan
62nd Governor of Maryland; Former Chair, National Governors Association
Advance registration required.
Title
Democracy in Peril - Can America Overcome its Divisions?
Seminar Series
In an age of hyper-polarization, distrust of our institutions, and wars in Europe and the Middle East, American democracy and our leadership role in the world are facing unprecedented challenges.
As governor of Maryland for two tumultuous terms, Governor Hogan led the most Democratic state in America as a Republican through the COVID pandemic, riots in Baltimore, and the rise of Donald Trump. Yet, after two tumultuous terms, he left office as arguably the most popular governor in America with more than 70% approval with every demographic regardless of race, gender, age, and party affiliation.
During candid conversations with students, colleagues, staff, and future leaders, Governor Hogan will offer his unique perspective on the state of our democracy, how to lead effectively in a crisis, and what lessons he can offer for how America’s divisions can be overcome.
Dates & Times (EST)
- February 1 | 1PM- Welcome Fellows and Introduction to the Cohort of 2023
- February 22 | 9:30AM- Overcoming Political Polarization - featuring National Governors Association Chair Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) and Vice Chair Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO)
- March 7 | 3PM- Leadership in Crisis
- March 20 | 2PM- What Happened and How Do We Fix it? - How American Politics Got So Crazy
- April 8 | 2PM - Career Conversations with the Fellows
About Governor Larry Hogan
Larry Hogan isn’t a career politician. A best-selling author, lifelong small business owner, cancer survivor, and the most popular Governor in the history of Maryland, Governor Hogan’s unique insights into crisis management and leadership have been recognized internationally.
On election night 2014, written off by conventional pundits, outspent more than 5-1, and outnumbered in party registration by more than 2-1, Larry Hogan pulled off the biggest upset in America and became only the second Republican Governor of Maryland in 50 years.
After only a few months on the job, Governor Hogan was beset by back-to-back crises: one in the national spotlight and one in his personal life. The first was dealing with the worst riots and civil unrest in a generation. The second was battling life-threatening cancer.
Governor Hogan’s leadership through both these difficulties drew both national and international praise and commendation – from the President to the Pope, to business leaders, and politicians from both sides of the aisle.
Despite these daunting challenges, Governor Hogan got to work keeping his promise to Change Maryland for the Better. He forged bipartisan consensus on important issues and led the greatest economic turnaround of any state in the country – taking Maryland from 49th out of 50 states in economic performance to 6th.
The people of Maryland rewarded his success. Governor Hogan defied the odds and became only the second Republican governor to be re-elected in Maryland’s history when he won a landslide re-election in 2018, a year that proved disastrous for other Republicans, nationally.
As a Republican governor with a super-majority Democratic legislature, the popular view was that Annapolis would reflect the same partisan gridlock as Washington DC. Governor Hogan defied the odds, yet again, and worked with political opponents to pass the largest tax cuts in Maryland history, and forged compromises that allowed him to reduce taxes eight years in a row. For those eight years, Annapolis stood as proof that an antidote to partisanship existed.
When COVID-19 struck the United States in 2020, Governor Hogan took bold and decisive action and led the nation’s governors through the pandemic as Chairman of the National Governors Association. The Governor’s data-driven, open and transparent approach to handling the crisis was widely praised as both balanced and effective.
Governor Hogan left office in 2023 with the highest recorded approval rating of any Governor in Maryland’s history. Across every party affiliation, demographic and racial line, and geographic divide, Governor Hogan’s approval rating was near-or-exceeding 80% – a level that is wholly unprecedented in modern American politics. Throughout his entire eight years in office, the Governor was routinely ranked in the top three most popular governors in the country.
Whether it was navigating crises, working to forge commonsense and bipartisan solutions, engaging with average citizens, or defying conventional wisdom to achieve breakthrough success, Governor Hogan stands as an internationally recognized leader and sought-after advisor. Hogan is the founder of An America United, as well as the Founding Chairman of Hogan Companies.
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